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iOS 5.1 Will Add Japanese Siri Support, New Lock Screen [REPORT]

A new report says Apple will push out an update to iOS in the coming weeks. Although not much is known about it, iOS 5.1 will add Japanese-language support for Siri, the digital voice assistant on the iPhone 4S, as well as a new lock screen that will make it easier to access the phone's camera.

Boy Genius Report says it somehow got a look at Apple's coming iOS 5.1 update, which it reports will be hitting the the streets around March 9. With the update, Apple continues to improve Siri, adding Japanese language support. The iPhone 4S has been available in Japan since October, but if the report is true soon its people will actually be able to the digital voice assistant. You might also want to get ready for a new wave of humorous viral videos surrounding Siri's answers, possibly with more Manga references.

With iOS 5, first released to the public last fall, Apple added the ability to launch the camera app straight from the lock screen. Since camera-worthy moments often strike fast and evaporate just as quickly, being able to quickly switch the phone to camera mode was a great improvement. It brought iOS in line with competing mobile devices (such as many BlackBerry models, which have a dedicated button to launch the camera), and it addressed security by giving the user access to the camera only from the lock screen.

According to the report, calling up the camera from the lock screen is about to get even more immediate. Currently, iOS 5 users must double tap the home button and touch the onscreen camera icon. With iOS 5.1, all they'll need to do is call up the home screen, which will have a permanent camera icon, and slide a finger upwards. It's a minor change, but anything that cuts down the time to launch the camera can help capture those rare, unrepeatable moments.

Apple doesn't comment on rumor or speculation, so we'll just have to wait until early March to see if these upgrades are for real.

BONUS: The Best of iOS 5

5 Hidden Gems in iOS 5

1. Use Your Headset as a Remote Shutter Release

One of the nicest new features in iOS 5's Camera app for iPhone is the ability to use the volume key as a camera shutter release. It's the type of feature that just makes the phone feel more like a real point-and-shoot.

Our friends at MacRumors have let us know that the volume-up button on Apple-certified headsets can also be used to snap photos. Why is this cool? Because when paired with a mount or tripod such as the Glif, photographers can get better control, steadier shots, and do cooler stuff with their photos.

2. Multi-touch Gestures on the iPad 2

On the iPad 2, using four or five fingers, users can switch between running apps (the same way users switch between spaces or full-screen apps in OS X Lion), pull up the app bar and quickly return to the home screen.

The gestures are very cool and we really like how consistent they are with OS X Lion. To enable gestures, go to the "General" area in "Settings" and select "Multitasking Gestures."

One caveat: Games that use multi-touch, like Fruit Ninja and Veggie Samurai don't work well with this mode, so be sure to turn it off before playing those games.

3. Split/Undockable Keyboard on the iPad

Another iPad-only special touch is the new keyboard options. Users now split the keyboard in half and move it farther up or down the screen. This works in both landscape and portrait mode.

The split keyboard won't be for everyone, but some users are bound to love it. Just be aware that the keys are smaller when split. The keyboard also becomes slightly transparent when undocked from the screen, which allows users better maneuverability.

4. Em and En Dashes

For users who are really specific about their punctuation, Apple as added a bit of a new gem in iOS 5: Proper en dashes.

Simply hold down the standard hyphen or dash key in iOS 5 and users are given an additional range of options, including em and en dashes.

5. More Fonts

Speaking of typography, 58 distinct fonts are pre-installed on iOS 5. As iOS Fonts points out, these fonts are now consistent across devices.

Looking over the list of fonts included in iOS 5, it's impressive to see the range. MarkerFelt still makes us want to cry, however.

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